


I'm latching on to you

by Mckie



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), hollistein - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Freeform, Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 00:14:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4725539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mckie/pseuds/Mckie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carmilla Karnstein wakes up after a night out but something is not right. She doesn't know where she is? Why is she there? And most relevant: Who’s this tiny person that woke her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Disclosure

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's my translated version of my Fic "Latching on to you" that was wrote in spanish originally.
> 
> I tried to make my best but if you notice something's wrong, please feel free to comment and give suggestions about it.
> 
> Since now sorry for any grammatical mistakes.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

Consciousness gradually returned to Carmilla; her mind sensed a weight over her body, small but enough to put on alert her neurons. In the distance she heard babble words without being able to understand it at all.

Stupid hangover, has made me so much harm combine O Positive with cognac again. - Thought while she was laughing in her mind, it was one of those silly jokes that she used to say with her vampire folks.

Carmilla tried to silence her mind and go back to sleep. For a moment she could felt the silence flooding and carrying her away from there, going back to dreamland. Suddenly, a blinding light made her wake up. Light, light, too much light to can bear it.

_What the hell?_ – A little girl was stand in front of her, no more than five years, brown hair and with a smile that could melt to anyone ; but of course, we’re talking about Carmilla. The kid was holding a small cat-shaped stuffed animal in her left hand while her right one was covered her mouth, her eyes wide open surprised by the "bad word" she had heard came out of Carmilla.

Carmilla jumped out of bed as fast as she could and stood as far away as possible from the creature.

_You said a bad word!_ \- said the girl, pointing her accusingly.

_What the ...? Who the shi...? How the fu ...? -_ Carmilla realized that her repertoire of words was full of lofty phrases, maybe not so shocked, but enough to make this child not stop to watching her menacingly.

Ok, let's take this easy. This is not happening. - She said while millions of questions crowded into her mind. How did I get here? Who is this girl? Where the hell am I? She felt safe of think curses because the girl could not hear them in her head. Or she could it? She turned to the girl and began to think so many curses as she knew staring the kid’s face which by now was verging on total bewilderment.

_Are you okay?_ \- Asked the girl tenderly, a sincere and concern tone it showed in her.

_Shhh!_ – Told her instinctively. Carmilla in her mind began to go over every move of her last night in search of answers. Whenever her mind could not understand something, she needed silence for her brain could arrange the data effectively and to reach an understanding of the situation.

_But ..._ \- Said the girl.

_Shhh! I need ..._ – Carmilla quickly replied, who was agaze interrupted.

_Yeah, I know, Time to think! -_ Answered the girl with a touch of resignation in her voice as she sat on her knees up on the bed in which Carmilla was laying few minutes ago and began to play with his catlike toy.

Deep inside Carmilla some of that response seemed as if wasn’t the first time she had said that to the girl.

She shook his head in denial and to avoid thinking in things that it was not useful at the time ‘cause what mattered most now was knowing where she was, with whom, and why she had awakened for this child with a familiar air.

_OK. So ... think_ \- She said loudly trying to silence the other voices that gave her useless information.

Carmilla began to look around to try to identify something that tell her where she was. She was sure that this wasn’t her house, because in first place it was a highly ordered space. The bed, despite had rumpled sheets by the outburst waking doesn’t even looked messy; in front of it was a dressing table without a single object above it or out of place, there was a pair of neatly arranged books on the bedside table on the other side of the bed, a Little couch in the corner with a small blue blanket wisely folded. Hell, even there was a small rug at the foot of the bed where lay a pair of slippers. The person who lives here is really fucked up - thought, as she watched askance at the girl, she was still not quite sure if she could read her mind or not.

The walls color was a grayish white that was reflecting external light. Something too bright for making like Carmilla, obviously, like her ancestors, she preferred something darker, to allow her sleep during daylight hours without problem.

So, it was certain that she was drinking too much, she met someone and ended up spending the night with her ... at her place. Carmilla immediately turned to see the girl trying to tie up the  loose ends.

_I slept with a mom, I slept with a mother!_ \- Said aloud repeatedly denying her head. The girl turned to her and missed the first attempt to speak when Carmilla glanced her and understood that she should not say a word, so she looked back down and continued playing with her kitten.

This can’t be happening to me - She repeated mentally. She was a woman with a daughter. What if she has a husband or wife? Damn! - She instinctively looked at the girl feeling sorry for cursing. Thing that upset her even more, because there wasn’t a risk that the kid heard what she said in his head, was clear now that the girl didn’t read minds; and besides What did it matter if the girl listened her curse? Why she was concerned?

_So ..._ \- She raised her voice to generate a second mental argument. Her mind began to discuss the possibilities she had to get out of this. Run! Get out of here! – Her inner self shouted her. For a moment she saw it as something feasible, even, she walked slowly to the window to see what the best option to flee was. As she approached the window, the kid looked at her with a shaped eyebrow questioning and Carmilla had no choice but to give up the leak.

_OK. I slept with a woman with a daughter_ \- She said resignedly.

We drank too much and one thing led to another; the typical story. It’s not really so bad – She kept pondering within herself. She's an adult. She could say no. Perhaps she not even mentioned that she had a daughter. That must have been. She didn’t mention that she had a daughter, because being so, Carmilla would never have involved with her, or she wouldn’t have been in this situation. If she’s married, is her problem, not Carmilla’s. She never should have gone to a bar to looking for "something". "Something"? Why the hell she called that, if she could easily have said, "She was looking for a good bang".

Carmilla suddenly felt she was and wasn’t herself that day. She must be dreaming. A bad hangover dream. No, rather, a hangover nightmare. A lesson learned to never to combine anything with O Positive again.

_Well_ \- She said, accompanied by a long sigh. She should get out of there and the obvious way to do it was the front door. She didn’t know if the girl would help her, but possibly if she lie about buying her some sweets or some junk food, she might make her an accomplice to her mom didn't realize that scurried away.

Are you gonna lie the little girl? - She heard a voice that was not hers in his mind and a chill ran through her.

What the hell was happening? Remorse? It's a girl I don’t even know! No matter if after this she would be crying and it breaks her heart for the broken promise of buy her their favourite candies. Carmilla clearly felt something inside her, just a little broke, but she felt it like she had never felt something.

Okay, there will not be lies to girls today. So, she could simply ask for her help. There are children who are mature enough to react well to adult and emergency events. This definitely qualified as an urgent situation. Talk to the girl, saying she should leave without her mother sees her and ask her say goodbye to her mommy with a kiss. "Mommy"? A kiss? Something is not right. In definitive, something in this house was causing a mess with Carmilla’s head and not let her think clearly. Or it would have been the alcohol? Stupid Will, I'll kill him for having adulterated alcohol at the bar! - She thought to himself.

Talk to the girl. Yes, that was the plan. Then, do so. She was slowly approaching to the kid. She didn't know if the girl could bite her, come on, she’s a badass vampire with hundreds of years, but it is a losing bet that this little creature could hurt her more than she could hurt the girl.

_Hey!_ \- She said. She thought it was something that would sound cool and relaxed.

The girl didn't say a word, just looked up and gave her the largest and most beautiful smile that Carmilla had ever seen. Not even in her hundreds of years lived.

Carmilla shuddered to see her smile and something in his mind dictate to hug her tenderly. But she recovered against this involuntary reflex and continued.

_Hey, you can talk now. Time to think, over_ – She paused for a moment, because the phrase sounded too sappy – _So..._ \- Go, just go, was all she had to do. Say it Carmilla! - She encouraged to herself.

Carmilla hesitated for a second and thought that she didn't even know who was the girl's mother and that the worst of that would be that if one day she returned to the bar without consciously knowing it, they could end up getting involved again, or even worse, who knows if she was one of those crazy life going by falling in love with the first person whom she has "something". Again she said "Something"? Focus Karnstein! Perhaps she was a psychopath and she will want a "serious relationship" just after a one night stand, she could get back to the bar and make a scene while Carmilla would not even know who the hell she is. No. There should be a better solution for this.

A picture! – She thought and smiled with satisfaction, you could almost see herself applauded to herself for being so smart.

She should find a picture to show her who was the progenitor of that _little monster_ that woke her up opening her eyelids.

Carmilla smiled at the girl for a second, she withdrew her smile when she felt comfortable doing it. She never have felt like that. She tried to smile to the girl again for her plans, but it was a runway of horrifying faces that made the girl threw a slight giggle. She ended up taking a last breath of courage and talked to the kid.

_So ... Where’s your mom? -_ She ventured as spitting something that does not taste good in your mouth.

_That's you! -_ said the girl pointing her and then ran out of the room.


	2. You lift my heart up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla had to resolve the situation in which she found herself. Having woken up in a strange house with a woman with a daughter who claimed to be hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments about the first chapter. 
> 
> And once again, please feel free to comment and give suggestions about my lack of abilities in the translation.
> 
> And sorry for the grammatical mistakes. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

Carmilla had stood in the same position she held since the kid had left the room. Not even a single black hair had dared to move of their place. It were two, five or thirty minutes, no one knows; the time was not important because the words had come from the little child were long deepest that Carmilla wanted. She really didn't know how she should have feel about it and that made it even more confused to her.

A female voice brought her back to "reality"; if this it could be called something real. How it supposed that this girl was her daughter? How could she just wake up one day and realize she had a 5 year old daughter? This was too weird to be understood in just a few of minutes. But what she had to understand? What was "real" and what wasn’t?

Perhaps the _little monster_ was only joking; or perhaps, her mother used to bring home so many women that possibly the girl was used to call them "mom" to fucked up with their minds. Whatever it was, Carmilla had to know who was that woman and then rid of that place.

_Carm!_ \- She heard the voice calling her again from another room.

Carm? Since when she allows a stranger with whom was she supposed have a child named her so dearly? But what are you thinking Karnstein! Crap! - She thought. And then she scolded her confused brain that was still doing these vapid and meaningless statements.

She sat on the edge of the bed, she needed to rest for a moment and desired to make her brain got calm. She put her hands to her head and tried to remember what she did yesterday step by step.

_Ok, well, I woke up at my room, I could remember that very well_ \- She said loudly, now that the girl was gone she could speak loudmouthed – _I was hurry because it was after 6 PM and I promised to Will help him with the pub_ – She and Will had become partners just the last century, they were not best friends indeed but at least they had been able to work well together - _the usual movement began in the pub. I remember the music_ \- In her brain she could see the images increasingly blurred and less clear - _Mattie!_ \- She shouted up and jumped out of the bed when she could barely glimpse her sister walk in the pub.

Carmilla gathered all the courage she could of her body and started to walking out of the bedroom. There was no sign of the girl but it was worthy to be careful, in this house and with all the creepy things happening she could not be neglected.

She went downstairs with the care required by the living chaos, slowly placing one foot after the other and looking around searching for the girl or that one photograph that she had thought could get her out of this mess. She wanted to make the least noise possible, perhaps her only option at this time would run away; only that her disastrous mind had forgotten one small detail, it was still early in the morning and if you don't remember, real vampires do not support directly the sun light and she was a real vampire indeed. That's why she never stayed in the house of girls; no matter how much she had been drinking, she leads the women to her apartment so she could run them out of there the next morning and she could get back to sleep until after hours of the sun without troubles.

She continued reproaching to herself by breaking her number one rule of conquest so she did not notice a small pink bicycle standing at the foot of the stairs and bumped into it. That object reminded her that the girl at least was real and was not a product of her hungover head. The bizarre statement that that kid was her daughter was impossible. Or wasn't?

She took her injured foot and realized that she was not wearing shoes, but she had already moved too far away from the room to recede.

For the third time she heard the voice calling her, now even closer to her.

She was about to start to run, but surely she couldn't have come too far without dying in the sunlight when suddenly  the little girl showed up and looked at her down the aisle accusingly. With one sign she invited her to enter the room where she was. Carmilla succumbed to the orders of the kid and lowering her arms in defeat started walking slowly in to the new room.

Upon entering she realized that the kitchen was a darker room , there were blinds making impossible to sunlight entering through the windows but allowed, in some way, get enough light to see clearly. Carmilla felt really comfortable in that room, that has been certainly seemed conditioned to her.

After that, she notices across the breakfast area located in the centre of the kitchen, a woman back to her. She danced and sang happily Bruno Mars Uptown Funk as she moved a wooden cooking paddle in the beat of the melody; she was giving little hops from side to side as she shook her head playfully.

Carmilla thought that if she wasn't living this horrible situation, she would have laughed of that scene and she even had joined her in to the dancing moves. Does she even was talking about dance? Or at leats, does she even like that happy music? Nothing Carmilla’s at all. Her mind was still playing with her thoughts.

Beholding in detail to the woman, Carmilla noticed something familiar in her, like if she already knew this little dorky dancer.

To the left of the vampire, the little girl were dancing in her chair just like her larger version did. That was it! She had not seen the face of the woman yet, but she would definitely be the mother of this girl because they were like clones, the woman just a few inches bigger.

The female began to rotate forward, waving in her hand the wooden shovel, like she was conducting an orchestra or feeling a Hogwarts student. As soon as she saw Carmilla, the woman smiled at her in the same way that the girl did minutes ago and the vampire felt the same shiver through her. She began to feel something in her chest, didn't know what to call it, she did not even know if it was something she had felt before, but certainly if so, it must have been for several centuries back.

_Carm! -_ Managed to say the woman in a surprised tone before she started to laugh.

She seemed a little embarrassed by the way she had been trapped.

The voice of this woman when she spoke to her made the vampire feel good in a pleasant manner; somehow, she did not know how exactly, but that didn't seemed to be something of a one night stand.

Carmilla wanted to say something, but she felt that once she opened her mouth, all the questions that came born since she woke up that morning had fought to come out all at the same time of her lips, making impossible to say a single sentence sufficiently audible and understandable. So she just managed to nod her head in greeting.

_I've been waiting hours for you. You have troubles to wake up again? Lili went to looking for you and came back saying that she believed that you had not awakened in a good mood because you were a little odd; I told her that she had to remember that sometimes the most sunny days aren't your favourite days. Are you okay? Look, I cooked your favourite breakfast -_ The woman said as she exposed a dish with a couple of waffles with maple and blackberries.

Carmilla didn’t sincerely know what should be the first thing she had to process of all that data that this woman had said to her. Holy crap! She spoke fast indeed! Hold on! Are those Belgian waffles with berries? In truth, it was her favourite breakfast! How could this one-night stand woman know that was it? Carmilla was staring foolhardy how delicious that breakfast seemed. It were freshly prepared and had so many berries. Those were the best waffles she had seen since about 250 years ago, when she tested them in Versailles for her first time with Maman and Mattie. Mattie! She should know what's been going on here, she needed to find her and talk about all this ... but those waffles looked so tasty.

Maybe I can just ... take a little breakfast to get energy and wait for the sun sets then I could get out of here looking for Mattie - She thought as she followed the dish with her eyes. She could almost taste the delicacy in front of her.

_Sweetie? -_ Said the woman in front of her _\- Are you okay? Is there still too much light for you? Would you like that I close the blinds even more? - I_ t seems that this woman was really worried about her.

_Yes -_ Carmilla mumbled, still staring at the plate. Sweetie? Where did that come from?

_Yes, what? Do you want I close the blinds?_

_No, I ... I'm fine… Don't worry? -_ Carmilla was mesmerized by the breakfast and said her first thought in her mind that seemed should be the right answer to maka the woman happy and so nothing could interrupted her new plan. She stretched out to reach the dish the brunett e was giving to her and took place in the chair next to the kid.

For at least a couple of minutes she left to worry about who was that people whom she was having breakfast that morning and she allowed her just enjoy the food that she was eagerly devoured. Have the habit of hunting for a prey to feed her of their blood had left her the routine of eating the standard food in the same way.

The three females ate their breakfast quietly. In fact, at the third waffle Carmilla began to feel comfortable with her status. Therefore, she had no qualms, with the whole mouth full of berries and biscuit, to ask the woman if she could prepare three waffles more. The woman grinned and nodded somewhat puzzled.

What the hell! If she will cook for me like this, I could even stay and live here forever - She thought, while she asked the little girl for the maple syrup next to her.

For when the woman served Carmilla the other three waffles, her brain has already rested. Once again she began to think about the incident. Definitely this was no a casual thing. Was something beyond a one night stand. Because there was no way that woman knew, with only one night of intimacy, the recipe of her favourite breakfast. If this was "real" How did she get there? She never looked up from the plate, but askance began to see the woman, still inside felt that she known her beyond than striking resemblance to the toddler, but could not remember where.

You're so hungry, eh? - The woman said smiling, it seemed that this woman never stopped smiling.

Carmilla looked up, nodded quickly and went back down to her plate.

The three girls finished eating about the same time, it was clear that Carmilla had enjoyed her breakfast because in a few minutes completely disappeared the food from her plate. The woman got up from the table, removed the dishes and brought them to the sink; the girl kept looking Carmilla with a bewildered face.

_Thanks -_ Carmilla managed to say barely audible as the woman removed the rest of the things on the table.

_Mom can I go play? -_ Said the girl staring at Carmilla, who was silent, expecting that th e girl's mother will answer her. S he mean s, the real mother, not her. She had nothing to do there, Right?

The little kid was still gazing at Carmilla and after a long silent on her part, the woman looked at her too.

_Oh! Me? I mean ... Yes, you can. Go! -_ Carmilla said trying to be normal. But let's be honest what, at this point, could be considered as "normal"?

The girl left the room for a moment but ran back, gave a kiss to Carmilla on the cheek and went out of the room again.

The woman saw that scene and smiled. Carmilla thought that that women should had a face hurt from smiling that much, but actually believed that she looked really cute when she did it.

_So ... Cutie -_ Instinctively Carmilla has launched the nickname that she used to give to women whom she spent the night without knowing her names. That made her all easier because there was no need to remember useless data, usually she never sees them again; some of them maybe once or twice but nothing that need to share personal information.

_What's wrong, Carm? - T_ he woman for the first time spoke in a serious tone and that smile on her face was no longer visible.

Carmilla felt divided, something in her felt relieved because she actually did not even know what she was going to say to the woman, and on the other hand, internally laughed ironically.  Because, what’s wrong? That was just that she wanted to know from the moment that she had aroused by surprise.

_What do you mean? -_ Carmilla wanted to get all the information from the woman before saying something that could get her into strange situation in itself than it was.

_6 waffles, you not come fast although it was clear that today's breakfast was your favourite, you don't carried Lili here for breakfast, you came without your slippers, you're not talking to me more than monosyllables, you stay silent when Lili speaks to you and above all, you know I hate you call me the way you used to call all your "loving friends" -_ Carmilla thought that this woman really had an exceptional ability to see every detail of her life and she could exposed it so clearly summed up in seconds, even she got to be envious of her mental ability to generate a complete picture of the situation.

_Nothing -_ She dryly replied, Carmilla didn’ t know why but she felt embarrassed.

_I thought we were fine now, you know, after..._

Carmilla lift her left eyebrow as she could, making side of the most missing person in the whole world.

_You know! Last night, after our chat about Danny; and what happened next..._ \- The brunette continues to insist.

Carmilla's face did not change for a single second, she had no idea who Danny was? Even less what happened after they had talked about this person. Wait! Danny was male or female? How the hell she would understand what was happening?

The woman began walking towards Carmilla and that action did her chest stirred strangely again. But what the hell is this seizure?

_I thought we had solved, Carm; I thought we'd left all that behind. Last night was so... cute -_ The woman sat in front of her and gently placed her hand above of Carmilla's lying on the table.

There was commotion again in her chest and to Carmilla that was becoming infuriating.

The woman stared into her eyes and Carmilla knew.

_Last night we shag! -_ She shouted as she left the table.

_Shut up, Carm! Lili could hear you say that, you know I hate to say such things in front of her and I hate that you named “That” like this -_ The wo man said as she slapping her arm to make clear her scolding.

Carmilla then knew where her mind get that strange thing of calling "something" to sleep with someone.

She remained unknowing seeing the woman and once again she felt ashamed.

The woman smiled as she settled her brown hair from one side to the other and that gesture made understand to Carmilla that she actually had sex with her last night; but not the night the woman was talking about, but the one the vampire could remember. The one after meeting her at the bar.

She reminded her arriving to the bar with a group of redhead girls, she could remembered that very well because Will joked about it, saying that certainly should be a relationship between the intensity of the red hair of women and their sexual preferences. She even recalled that Will and she sent a couple of drinks to the women table seeking their sympathy and to rectify Will’s silly theory. She remembered her walking up to the bar in front of her to thank the gesture "personally". She recalled her dancing with her friends in that stupid super sexy-awkward way, just as she had found her doing it this morning. She remembered her when she returned to the bar to order another drink and began to talk to her. She recalled how she took her hand as she led her to the bathroom where they kissed passionately. Carmilla began feeling disturbed because she found herself feeling excited about that scene.

The female kept staring at her and Carmilla did not know what it was she wanted from her.

What she could say to her? That the only she remember was she kissing her in a night out? That she really could not even remember her name? That she did not even know what she was doing in that house with her and the girl who claimed to be his daughter? Or how she got there?

Carmilla roused herself when she noticed that the woman approached her again but now in a more dangerous way; and again that damn excitement in her chest.

The woman leave her seat and walked toward Carmilla, causing the vampire to give a few steps back and bump into the fridge, getting caught between the furniture and her attacker who whisper in to her ear.

_But you're right, last night we shag ... and was wonderful -_ The brunette pointed with a sensual barely audible voice and finished the sentence with a kiss on the neck of the vampire.

Carmilla feel her legs failed her and that they could not hold her anymore…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was thinking if someone wants to cooperate with the translation spanish-english. I could send it to review and with all the pertinent changes, post it. 
> 
> I would be really thankful for your help.


	3. I will try to knock them down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gradually, and without wanting to, Carmilla continues getting information about what she's doing in this house with an unknown woman and a little girl who claims to be her daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, sorry for the delay and everything. Thank you for all your support. 
> 
> I wanna thank with all my heart to [starryeyedforyou](/http://archiveofourown.org/users/starryeyedforyou/pseuds/starryeyedforyou/) for helping me as Beta Reader and make this tranlation better. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it.

Carmilla's mind was traveling between the night in the bathroom of her bar,  and what she felt at that moment when the woman was kissing her neck and touching all of her body. She didn’t know how to react. She wanted to get out of there. That’s what she'd wanted since she woke up, right? But now? Actually,  her legs didn’t help at all, they were not functioning like they should.

 

She was relieved when a foreign sound helped her escape of that difficult situation. At the door,  someone was ringing the bell  letting their presence known.

 

_"Saved by the bell, kitty_  " – Said the woman as she stopped the kissing,  and looked into her eyes, Carmilla felt so intimidated by that look. She was scared of not knowing how far she had been able to let the situation go. She wasn’t even sure if she would've stopped the brunette.

 

_"Carm, could you open the door while I finish cleaning here?" -_  The woman said as she gave her a wink as a sign of complicity.

 

Carmilla had to take some air to compose herself and calm her fast breathing before she could even think of moving. She could still feel the other woman's lips pressed against her neck and her hands across her body. Her legs gradually regained their function. Slowly, she walked out of the kitchen looking for the front door. She faced the room where the little girl was playing and she pointed to the direction of the main entrance to the disorientated guest. The sound of the bell rang insistently.

 

Carmilla walked to the door and opened with caution.

 

_"Hey! Where’s Laura?"_ \- Said a short redhead smiling and totally excited; next to them was another redhead with the better-off hair curls Carmilla had seen in her long life,  and a wide smile on her lips as well. Was there something about this house that made all women smile for no reason?

 

Carmilla was mute and her silent made the shorter redhead impatient.

 

_"Hello? Earth to Carmilla. Laura? Your wife? Do you know her? Have you seen her? You know, a tiny nerdy woman, dorky, she rambles like the hell and is a tamer of beasts" –_ They continued giving her a slight punch in her arm, teasing her.

Carmilla received  -again- a ton of information at the same time.  These women sure could smile a lot, but they had no delicacy when releasing a bunch information at once.

Feeling overwhelmed, she only managed to point to the back of the house. _Wait! Wife?_ She thought scared.

The two gingers walked into the house but Carmilla stayed by the door trying to understand the whole concept of "WIFE".

_"Everything is alright, honey? You two could talk, right?" -_ The tallest redhead turns back and asked almost whispering as she settled Carmilla's  messy clothes that Laura had jumble minutes ago in that little meeting in the kitchen.

Carmilla just nodded again without speaking. She remembered that the woman in the kitchen said they had a talk last night.

The redhead also nodded in response, she knew in advance how bad Carmilla was about sharing her thoughts about their relationship. In fact she sucked at everything that had to do with feelings.

_"Perry!"_ \- A cry of complaint was heard from the kitchen by the little redhead.

 

_"Well! We should go. Don't say anything until we’re all there!"_ \- Shouted the tall ginger as she took Carmilla’s hand and dragged her back to the kitchen not before she was able to slammed the door shut.

_"Oh! Blueberries! So I guess everything is fine now, Uh?" -_ Said the little redhead smiling when they noticed the remains of breakfast in the kitchen, while Laura's face resembled the color of Perry red curls and the later looked through the window out of the house as a sign of discomfort by the comment of her companion.

Carmilla didn't understand what they meant by that and what it had to do with her favorite breakfast. Well, to be fair, Carmilla didn’t understand anything since she had woken up this morning.

_"LaFontaine! Let's just give them the news" -_ Perry commented with the intention of breaking the awkward silence that her companion had just created.

_"Right!"_ \- Said Lafontaine as they pulled an envelope with documents from their briefcase.

_"Laura, it arrived! Finally it’s here and you did it!"_  - Perry yelled.

_"Whaaaaaaat?"_ \- Laura asked shouting and approached redheads to see the document that were unfolding.

_"Taaa ta ta ta taaaaa! You, tiny Laura..."_ \- LaFontaine expressed imitating a fanfare.

 

_"Won the Journalist of the Year Award by the National Press Association!"_ \- Interrupted Perry jumping with excitement.

_"Holy Dumbledore! Is this true_?" - Laura yelled completely filled with excitement and took Perry's hands jumping along with her.

_"Congratulations!"_ \- LaFontaine said as they approached and hugged them jumping uncomfortably for a second before releasing them to gain their composure again.

LaFontaine stared at Carmilla, who had not dropped a single word. Not even to kick them out of her home for their early visit, or claiming the disruption to her home life. Which was common with all visitors.

With a deeper look, they tried to tell the raven-haired woman that she needed to show any sign of  reaction for her wife’s accomplishment. But Carmilla only frowned annoyed. At least, that's what LaF thought. Actually, Carmilla frowned from ignorance, she didn't know what the redhead wanted  for from her.

_"Carm! Can you believe it, sweetie?"_ \- Laura let go Perry and turned ecstatic to her wife.

Carmilla was overwhelmed and didn't know what to tell the other woman that now was not only the mother of the girl who swore was her own daughter, but turns out that she was her wife too. Maybe. It seems. She doesn’t know.

_"Yeah, cool, ha?"_ \- Carmilla said quickly trying to look as excited as she could, but it was clear that she failed.

She was convinced to her bones that if she didn’t participate in the excited scene, these women would pull out stakes and attack her at that precise moment. Especially, the tall redhead named Perry who had already given her a killer look for her indifferent behavior.

Laura felt a little hurt by the uninterested actions of her wife, but was immediately glad to see the little whirlwind coming towards her screaming in excitement.

_"A prize? WOW! Just like my stars in Kindergarten"_ \- Lilly pounced to her and hugged her so hard that Laura could barely breathe. Carmilla's gloomy reaction, or rather, the lack of it, was nothing that a good hug from her daughter could not mend.

_"Aaaawwww. She is so cute! Come on! Now a big hug of the three of you. A family hug"_ \- Perry said, clapping fascinated as she pushed Carmilla towards her family with almost fervent strength.

Carmilla then gave up and hugged her "wife" and her "daughter".

_"Congratulations, Laura"_ \- Said amid hug. It was the first time she mentioned her name and it didn't feel as weird as she would think; in fact, she was pleased to do so. She enjoyed it even more when the smile on the blonde’s lip grew wider at her words.

_"Thank you, sweetie. Thanks, cupcake. Thanks, everyone"_ \- Laura said as tears of joy rolled down from her hazel eyes.

Lilly broke the hug and ran back to the playing room.

_"Mommy, Carmy is also happy for your prize"_ \- the toddler said, screaming and raising her stuffed cat.

_"I know, Cupcake. Thanks"_ \- Laura yelled from the kitchen laughing, tears of happiness still covering her cheeks.

Even after Lilly left, Carmilla and Laura stayed in eachother’s arms; Carmilla's arm over the tiny journalist’s shoulders and Laura holding the brunette's waist. Carmilla had not noticed that her chest was agitated from being next to Laura. The second she started to perceiving it she instinctively let go and pulled away from Laura.

_"We have to celebrate!"_ \- Perry said after she noticed the brunette’s discomfort. She was not sure, but it seemed that even after Carmilla and Laura had spoken, the situation between them was not quite right.

_"I ... I have to go to the bathroom"_ \- Carmilla said and left the room. She remembered seeing a restroom next to the main room where she woke up this morning. She ran upstairs and locked herself in it.

Is this true? I have a wife? I have a daughter? I live here? Was I in a coma and just woke up? Am I completely mad? The questions kept beating Carmilla's mind.

_"Carmilla are you in there?"_ \- Her thoughts were interrupted when LaFontaine knocked on the door - Is everything alright? Laura is worried and she asked me to come and…

That was all Carmilla needed to decide to open the door.

_"LaFontaine, right?"_ \- She told to the ginger who was staring at her strangely. Well, they had never been friends at all but after years of knowing  them, Carmilla never called them by their name; mad scientist, nerd, smarty, nuisance; she had called them  all possible names, except LaFontaine.

_"Yes, that's it. I, LaFontaine. You, Carmilla. What's wrong blood sucker? What's this all about?"_ \- Asked the redhead.

Carmilla grabbed their forearm and pulled them into the bathroom with her super strength and then close the door behind her.

_"Hey! Look I do not know what this is all about but you and I, we’ve never..."_

_"Shut up LaFontaine! That's never gonna happen!"_ \- Carmilla looked at their face and continued talking.

_"Ok, this is a strange thing; but you seem to be smart enough and maybe could help"_ \- LaFontaine seemed too excited to help the vampire in whatever it was. After all, they loved anything that required their intelligence to be solved. Especially if they were talking about paranormal stuff and helping other species - " _What would you think ... If I told you I woke up here today knowing nothing, not that I had a wife, or a daughter, or who you are or what the frilly hell am I doing here?"_

 

LaFontaine was dumbfounded for each phrase that came from Carmilla’s mouth and began to shake their head.

_"I’m crazy, right?"_ \- Carmilla asked with an air of resignation.

_"I would say that I believe you. Completely"_ \- LaFontaine said.

_"What?_  "- Carmilla said in amusement.

_"I believe you. You have not insulted me throughout my stay here. You called me LaFontaine for the first time in our lives and the best proof of this, is that you have forgotten that I am claustrophobic and you locked me here. So now, the first thing you need to do is to get me out of this coffin of death"_  - They commented as they pushed Carmilla to get out of their way.

Both walked into the main room to speak privately.

_"LaF, Carmilla, is everything alright?"_ \- Perry yelled from the living room downstairs.

_"All good. Carmilla and I are talking about protombiotics, blood clotting disorders and other topics of her interest"_ \- LaF answered quickly.

That seemed to be a typical response of LaFontaine and that calmed down the couple of women downstairs and give them a chance to keep talking.

_"How is it that you know nothing?_  " - They inquired, anxious to know more.

_"I don't know. I was woken up by, uh, Lilly?. That's her name, right? And I don’t remember anything about the last five or six years. How old is she? I remember going to my pub yesterday, then I met Laura and we kissed and then..."_ \- Carmilla stopped because she felt ashamed to tell LaFontaine what had happened between them after seeing the ginger’s face of unbridled emotion.

_"Well, that doesn't matter. I don't remember anything else. I only woke up today with a daughter and a wife, who it turns out to be the same woman with whom I kissed last night for the first time in my life"_ \- Carmilla gave a long-suffering sigh after that crazy explanation.

LaFontaine could not hide their elation at what they were hearing, it was the best story they had been told in their life. How can anyone lose seven years of their lives in one night without having suffered an accident or anything logical that could have caused it?

_"Look, I'm going to help you. But for now we can not mention any of this to Laura. She's just too happy that made up and now with her award, she probably wouldn't be able to handle this situation"_ \- LaF said as they scratched their chin as part of their ritual to find solutions.

_"We made up? What do you mean?"_ \- Carmilla asked intrigued.

_"Shoot! I forgot that you don’t remember anything. Carmilla, You and Laura had a few rough months. Laura began working as an editor at the newspaper and that meant the she couldn’t spend as much time at home, at least not as much as you wished, and well, besides…"_

_"Besides what?"_ \- Carmilla said with the feeling that nothing good could come from the mouth of the nerd.

_"In addition you were being so jealous of Danny"_

 

Carmilla's face shows her impatience, Lafontaine spoke to her as if she knew what she was talking about. Danny? Laura had mentioned Danny this morning. Whoever he, she or they was.

_"F word! I'm sorry. Danny is one of Laura's best friends. She and Laura..."_

 

_"She and Laura what?"_ \- Carmilla protested mortified but she honestly didn't know where it had come from.

_"She and Laura have been working together in the newspaper; Danny has a column there, and you have not been able to stand all the time they spend together"_

_"LaFontaine, are you sure that's all that’s going on between them?"_ \- Again Carmilla was baffled by a small but persistent pressure in her chest.

_"Sure! Useless vampire. Laura loves you!"_ \- LaF said moving their head in disapproval and hitting Carmilla's shoulder.

Carmilla looked at them intensely with that same look that for years LaFontaine had seen in her when she's seconds before killing someone. Like a vampire sees its prey.

_"I'm sorry!"_ \- LaFontaine said with an astonishment look.

That face, Carmilla had seen that face before.

_"LaFontaine, you were there that night, right? The night that I met Laura. I think I remember you. You and this woman named Perry and…"_

Carmilla felt each one of the feline cells in her body twitched.

**  
_"I remember Danny Lawrence"_ \- Carmilla said, a hint of bitterness in her words.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm also on mckarnstein.tumblr.com Eager to hear your reviews or just let's be friends :)


	4. Now, I know what I have found.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla knows now that has a wife and a daughter. Although she can't remember how it happened. There is something she can remember very clearly: She hates Danny Lawrence.
> 
> Only hopes to find her sister Mattie to fix this mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support and sorry for the delay.
> 
> Thanks again to [starryeyedforyou](/http://archiveofourown.org/users/starryeyedforyou/pseuds/starryeyedforyou/) for helping me as Beta Reader and correct my mistakes.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one.

LaFontaine walked downstairs to find Perry and Laura. She was looking almost pale as she approached them.

 

_"Are you okay LaF?"_ \- Perry asked worried after seeing her partner looking almost like a ghost.

 

_"Uh ... yeah"_ – They said - _"Carmilla always surprises me when she shows all of her personality_[ à ](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%C3%A0%20la%20carte)la Cat-ula Count style"  
  


_"Is Carm, okay?"_ \- Laura asked jumping off her seat.

 

_"Yes, Laura, she's fine"_ \- Replied LaF immediately hoping Laura didn't suspect anything - " _You just have to give her some time, she is so happy that everything is okay between you two, but she needs time, that's all"_ – they concluded.

 

_"So, see you tonight, honey?" -_ Perry interrupted to lighten the mood. It was clear that there was something off. She knew her well enough to know when they were lying.

 

_"Sure. Savoy 8:30"_ \- Laura said, trying to convince herself that what her friend had told her was true.

 

Carmilla was lying in the middle of the bed. That immaculate room in which she had awakened, now was nowhere near perfect. The bedsheets were scattered all around the room. There were just tattered shreds. She didn’t know why but when she thought about the day she met Laura at her pub, she remembered the exact moment she was speaking to her at the bar, a giant redhead had approached them and interrupted their conversation, introducing herself as Danny Lawrence. The memory made her blood boil, she felt furious and begun to transform into a giant cat to wipe out all its forces the bed sheets. She needed to get all the wrath out of her body.

 

Laura came to the room after a while and Carmilla was still lying on cat form. The blonde lay down beside her without saying a single word. She knew her so well that knew she had an impulse of rage and needed reassurance. She hugged Carmilla although it had passed minutes of her anger she was still breathing heavily. She began to stroke her back gently and Carmilla finally managed to calm down.

 

_"I don't know what happened but LaF told me that you needed time. All I want you to know it's that I understand and I'm going to give you all the time that you need and I'll be here ... waiting. Because ... well you know, Carm. I believe you really know_  "- Said Laura who had tried by all means not mourn but inevitably tears escaped and crashed on Carmilla's body.

 

Laura stood up and left the room, not before kissing Carmilla on the forehead.

 

Something broke inside of the vampire. She was tired of feeling like this. Part of her felt guilty for ruining Laura's day. This morning she’d been glowing with happiness as she prepared breakfast and even more when she found out about the award. Now she was nothing but an uncontrollable ocean of tears. Carmilla hated herself for making her feel like that. Even tough, technically, she had only met her a few hours ago, no one had ever treated her the way Laura did.

 

Carmilla transform back into human form once she had completely eased her anger. Hesitantly, she walked down the stairs. The place was silent and she wondered where Laura and the little monster where. So she began to look for them everywhere. She couldn't find them at home and that only made her feel… sad?

 

It wasn’t even noon. Carmilla wandered through the house like a zombie. She still didn't know what she was going to do. But until she could find Mattie there wasn’t anything she could do, and although LaFontaine had promised to help her with this, she was not sure how useful a fool human could be, even if they seemed so clever.

 

Carmilla found herself in Lilly’s room. She examined it attentively. The room was full of toys but wasn’t a mess as she would expect; if the girl really was her daughter, Carmilla suspected at least a bit of chaos, and the thought made the vampire’s lips curve into a smirk. She paused for a moment to look at a drawing made by Lilly. It was a vivid picture of the three of them. In the picture Laura held her laptop smiling, Lilly was smiling too as she held her stuffed cat and Carmilla ... well, she looked at the picture with sadness when she realized that Lilly had drawn her a bit away from them and she was not smiling at all.

 

A noise broke her out of her trance. Laura and Lilly walked in the room.

 

_"Hey ... Do you feel better now?_  "– Laura asked somehow stunned and distraught.

 

_"Yes, thank you"_ \- Carmilla said barely audible.

 

_"We went for a walk so you could rest, you know, cause of your ... headache"_ \- Laura explained as she saw the question in Lilly´s eyes.

 

_"Carm, I need to talk to you"_ \- Laura said and gestured for the studio.

 

They walked into the room and were silent for a few minutes until Carmilla broke the silence. She was impressed with the amount of diplomas around it. Lots of framed awards with the name of Laura Hollis.

 

_"And what do you want talk about?_  " – Carmilla asked, she still felt guilty and never took her eyes off the floor. She was like a scolded school girl in the principal's office.

 

_"Carm, when I was walking with Lilly, I got a call… It was Danny"_

 

Carmilla felt once more a direct stab to the chest and she clenched her fists, but she tried to calm down. The situation was crazy, this morning she wanted run away, and now suddenly she felt possessive, she could not even bear to imagine her with someone else. Carmilla kept her gaze to the floor and just nodded.

 

_"She ... well, she's part of the team that will be awarded. You know that we have worked so hard, all together ... and she didn't came this morning but..."_

 

The weird feeling of aversion against Danny was stronger than her embarrassment. Carmilla looked up to see Laura, her eyes deep and impatient.

 

_"She will be there the day of the gala, to receive the award with us. Carm ... but I swear if you don't want me to go, I ..."_ \- Laura's eyes began to water and she looked up to the celling trying to suppress the tears threating to fall.

 

Carmilla gazed at her, she looked so vulnerable and so fragile, and her chest tightened.

 

_"Fine by me, you can go wherever you want, you don't need my permission"_ \- Carmilla said, her voice quiet and aloof.

 

She thought it was best to not interfere in Laura's life. She didn't know if she really would stay with them, she didn´t even know why she was there. So, it wasn't fair for Laura to miss it, and she had no intention of meeting that giant redhead who made her nerve twitch.

 

_"Carm, I need you by my side. It will be one of the most important days in my life. Please don't ask me to go to that place, where I´m supposed to receive a prize, without the most important person in my life. You can´t ask me that"_ – Again, she let out the tears.

 

_"Okay, okay. I'll go"_ \- Carmilla replied, trying to stop Laura's tears. For some reason it hurt her seeing her like that.  Carmilla thought it didn't matter if she said she would go. At the end after finding Mattie, the situation would be over.

 

Laura immediately wrapped her arms around Carmilla, and squeezed her as hard as her human strength allowed her.

 

_"Thank you, Sweetie! You're the best"_ – She cried but this time it was happy tears.

 

Carmilla didn’t know what to do, her heartbeat was a complete wreck. Maybe she was allergic to Laura, but it doesn’t feel bad to have her around, on the contrary, it felt good to have her by her side. So, what was all this commotion in her chest that she didn’t recognize as normal?

 

_"Can we celebrate it as a family? Lilly, you and me, before going out to dinner with LaF and Perry? And after that ... maybe… we could leave Lilly with them, so you and I can have **our own celebration** "_

 

Laura’s voice was too persuasive for Carmilla’s sake, there was no way she could say no. Laura could even pass for a vampire it she wanted to, she had the seduction eyes on point; Carmilla would’ve thought she was a vampire if it weren’t for the tiny human strength.

 

_"Go out to dinner?"_ \- Carmilla was so focused on Laura that she didn’t have enough time to consider her answer. Though she understood very well what Laura meant by that _**“our own celebration.”**_

 

_"Yes, Savoy at 8:30 What better than our favourite restaurant? Do you remember?"_ \- Laura said pouting. She knew she had to convince her wife once again.

 

Carmilla almost die laughing in front of Laura when she asked the final question _"Do you remember?"_ I don’t even remember you - thought to herself.

 

_"Ok, I just ... I need to do something before, so I’ll go and then I’ll see you there. Okay?"_ \- Carmilla said as part of her plan. She thought if anyone was capable of getting her out of this mess, that was Mattie. She was a few centuries older than her. So she only had to find her, talk to her and get her ass out of this chaos.

 

Laura wasn’t satisfied with Carmilla’s response. But she had promised only a couple of hours ago that she would give her space and time to make things between them better. So she had no choice but to nod and smile in approval.

 

For the family celebration Laura had planned to order pizzas and allow Lilly eat some candy while they’d watch a movie cuddling in the living room couch. With all the conflict that they had since she started fighting with Carmilla, they had months without spending time together like this.

 

_"I want to see Frozen"_ – Lilly shouted taking the TV remote in her hands.

 

_"Lilly nooooo, we have seen it the last 4 years"_ – Laura claimed while laughing.

 

Carmilla had no idea what the pair was talking about. She only saw Lilly running around the room with the control in her hands and laughing as she was chased by Laura. Who was “scolding" her without being able to get trap of the kid. Laura wasn’t a convincing authority figure at that time. Carmilla wondered how this tiny adorable nerd who was begin defeated by a toddler, could win a national award for best journalist.

 

Lilly crash into Carmilla and hugged her legs.

 

_"What mom says! She loves watching Frozen. She likes it!"_ \- Lilly said, never moving from her place attached to the vampire's legs.

 

Carmilla froze at Lilly's gesture. She thought it should be a very good movie if the kid claimed she liked it. Surely something bloody violence enough to make Tarantino blush.

 

_"Yeah, let’s watch that"_ – Carmilla clinched and stepped, breaking from Lilly’s grip and giving the toddler a pad on her shoulder.

 

_"Fiiineee! But I go in the middle. I want to cuddle both of my loves"_ \- Laura smiled as an act of surrender and lay down on the couch.

 

The three sat and Lilly set the TV to watch her favorite movie.

 

That was the longest two hours of her life, that counting that in over 300 years of being a vampire, she had witnessed the worst tortures that the world could imagine, none of them compared to the two hours watching a children's film. She didn’t know how she had bealived the little monster that that movie was something she loved. The only comfort was having Laura by her side as she hugged Lilly who couldn’t stop singing; in fact, even quoted almost the entire film because she knew all the dialogues. For some reason, even though Lilly was singing so loudly, it was the first moment of peace, since they had breakfast together, that Carmilla had had. It was surprising how spending time with these two girls could bring her so much calmness.

 

Lilly got up from the couch and kept singing and dancing, which made Laura to turn around and embrace Carmilla resting her head on her shoulder. The brunette could feel Laura’s breathing in her neck, which caused her chest get out of control.

 

_"Don’t you miss this, Carm?"_ \- Laura asked out of nowhere, her voice with a hit of nostalgia.

 

Carmilla didn’t know how to answer that, all she wanted was to get out of the situation. The clock marked six in the afternoon, it was time to leave.

 

_"I ... gotta go - Said the vampire as she rose from the couch – I’ll see you tonight. What was the restaurant name again?"_ \- Carmilla realized that Laura felt disappinted by her actions.

 

_"Savoy 8:30"_ \- Laura said with a gloomy tone.

 

_"Yeah, well, I’ll see you there. I ... Ok, bye"_ \- Carmilla ran out of the room. She was bad at goodbyes but surely this was within the first three worst farewells in the whole world.

 

Carmilla went to the big Karnstein Castle just to find it abandoned. The gates didn’t seem forced and though her vampire’s strength helped to break, she didn’t want to raise suspicions even less. She jumped over the mighty fortress walls and entered through a window.

 

The palace looked almost as she remember. She left Maman’s house about a century ago once she refused to be her servant and had chosen to live by her own rules. Maman had threatened to withdraw her inheritance as the daughter of Count Karnstein and Carmilla said laughing to ‘fuck off’. She left and had not returned since. Mattie lived there for a while but Carmilla never visited the castle. They usually met at the pub or elsewhere; but it seemed as if Mattie had years of not stepping on the bastion.

 

Carmilla was devastated, there was no trace of her sister. The only person who thought competent to solve this clutter.

 

She left the castle and the next thought was to go to her pub, perhaps Will, tough he was her little brother, speaking in vampire years of course, could help her.

 

She walked to the street where her pub was. Only to realize that it had become a huge shopping mall. There was no trace of it.

 

Carmilla sat on a bench and stayed there for a while, thinking of everything that she discovered today. And how she was now trapped in this "new life" that she wasn’t sure if she wanted. There was no one else in this universe that could help her. Her last resource now were LaFontaine.

 

_"Oh my god! The stupid dinner!"_ \- Carmilla stood up and left for the restaurant.

 

_"Damn! How was it called?"_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm also on mckarnstein.tumblr.com Eager to hear your reviews or just tell me I suck X)


End file.
